====== Human bipedalism - origins ======

>There are at least twelve distinct hypotheses as to how and why bipedalism evolved in humans, and also some debate as to when. Bipedalism evolved well before the large human brain or the development of stone tools.<sup> </sup>Bipedal specializations are found in //Australopithecus// fossils from 4.2 to 3.9 million years ago,<sup> </sup>although //Sahelanthropus// may have walked on two legs as early as seven million years ago."\\ \\ Source : [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bipedalism#Evolution_of_human_bipedalism|Wikipedia]]

The main theories include :

  * Savannah-based theory
  * Traveling efficiency hypothesis
  * Postural feeding hypothesis
  * Provisioning model
  * Early bipedalism in homininae model
  * Warning display (aposematic) model
  * Thermoregulatory model
  * Carrying models
  * Aquatic ape models

All of which can be researched using the //Wikipedia //link above.

Many of the theories are not mutually exclusive, so the possibility exists that several evolutionary factors could have been working at the same time. Whatever the main factors were, fossil evidence shows that hominins became increasingly bipedal over time - indicating strong evolutionary advantages.

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Also see : [[content:life_sciences:human_body:human_running_gait]]